2027: Dogara Has No Vice Presidential Ambition, Says All Progressives Congress Chieftain

A Bauchi State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Hon. Bulus Iliya, has dismissed widespread social media claims that former speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, is nursing ambitions to contest for the position of Vice President of Nigeria in 2027.

Addressing a press conference in Bauchi yesterday, Iliya described the reports as baseless, misleading, and politically motivated, insisting that the narrative emerged suddenly without any credible foundation.
According to him, the speculation originated from a Facebook post by one Babangida Abubakar Haruna, who shared a poster featuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, captioned ‘President 2027’ and ‘Vice President 2027’ respectively.

He noted that the post initially attracted little attention until it was reposted by former Kaduna State Senator, Shehu Sani, with a comment suggesting that contesting for the office of Vice President was unusual and mischievous.

“That single repost gave an otherwise obscure and insignificant post undue visibility and momentum,” Iliya said.

While Senator Sani’s comment appeared harmless on the surface, Iliya alleged that it was a deliberate attempt to ridicule and portray Dogara as desperate and overly ambitious.

He questioned why a seasoned political figure like Shehu Sani would amplify a post he allegedly knew was false, suggesting the possibility of a coordinated effort to tarnish Dogara’s image.

“Senator Shehu Sani is not a random social media user. He understands the power of words and platforms. His action raises legitimate questions about his motive and the interests he may be serving,” Iliya stated.

Reaffirming Dogara’s political standing, the APC chieftain stressed that the former Speaker remains a loyal and committed party member who has consistently supported the re-election of President Tinubu.

He explained that under Nigeria’s constitution, the choice of a Vice Presidential running mate is solely the prerogative of the President, adding that no political party in Nigeria has ever sold nomination forms or conducted primaries for the office of Vice President.

“Campaigning for such a position is illogical and unfounded. At no point has Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara indicated interest in contesting for Vice President,” he said.

Iliya further accused Senator Sani of wrongly attributing authorship of the Facebook post to Dogara without evidence, describing the move as malicious and unfair.

“If Senator Sani cannot prove that Dogara authored or sponsored the post, then the conclusion is that this was a deliberate attempt to malign him for reasons best known to the Senator,” he added.

He stated that the alleged fabrication should be owned by those responsible, urging political actors to focus on building their own political paths rather than attempting to undermine others.